Dr Hanger said even more damage was done when landholders burnt the felled logs, as seen in the footage of Wombinoo Station, because animals often sought shelter in the log piles.

He said widespread clearing needed to stop.

“When governments permit this broad-scale clearing without knowing how many koalas are there and what the risks are going to be, that’s really getting to a level where we say ‘that’s unacceptable in this day in age’.”

He said he had operated on one koala maimed in land clearing that had its arm torn off.

“If you did that to your cattle dog you’d end up in jail, there’s no doubt about it.”